Internet provider reports strong start to year
An independent broadband provider has reported a strong start to the year.
Bath-based full-fibre broadband provider Truespeed has extended its footprint by 25 per cent in the first five months of the year, now offering ultrafast broadband to 75,000 properties in the South West.
The company has seen a 364 per cent growth in its network rollout, in comparison to the same period last year.
This year the company has invested an additional £6m into its home city, expanding the network to properties in Batheaston, Bathampton and Bathford alongside notable landmarks such as Pulteney Road and Henrietta Park.
It has also extended its coverage further into rural and semi-urban towns and villages across the region, as part of a £24m investment in Somerset and Wiltshire. The company’s ultrafast broadband can now also be accessed by 27,500 properties across Frome, Faulkland, Trowbridge, Mark, Woolavington and Walton.
The provider has also seen further growth this year, now connecting more than 15,000 customers across the region, an increase of 15 per cent and employing 270 staff.
This increase has been driven by the company’s investment in full-fibre infrastructure in the region.
The news comes as Truespeed is ranked 53 in the ORESA Growth Index, which lists the top 100 fastest growing businesses in the UK.
Hitting these milestones so early in the year puts Truespeed’s rollout on target to meet the company’s ambitions to double its network footprint and customer numbers in 2023.
Chief executive James Lowther said: “Since we started in 2014, our focus has been on providing local people with a network they can trust. The South West is one of the UK’s most underserved regions for broadband and we are on a mission to bridge the digital divide and deliver high quality, reliable broadband at affordable pricing to communities across the region.”
Alongside its business growth, Truespeed also connected its 150th community organisation for free last month (April). St Benedict’s Junior School in Glastonbury became the latest recipient of the provider’s ‘free broadband for life’ promise. In just eight years, the company has now connected 40 schools and 110 community hubs, giving more than 5,700 children direct access to full-fibre broadband.
Lowther added: “For us, while these milestones may sound impressive, our journey is just as much about our commitment to the region and putting customers and communities at the heart of everything we do. We believe this is what differentiates us and is key to our success to date – we are just as much a people business as we are a tech business.”
Founded in 2014 to bring ultrafast broadband to rural, semi-urban and suburban areas across the South West, Truespeed has now passed over 75,000 homes across the region all of which are ready for connection, a total investment of £134 million. Local residents and businesses in Glastonbury, Street, Shepton Mallet, Wells, Portishead, Clevedon, Keynsham, Saltford, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Peasedown, Nailsea, Bradley Stoke, Patchway, Stoke Gifford, Almondsbury, Thornbury, Uphill and Chipping Sodbury can now benefit from full-fibre broadband.
The company also designs connectivity solutions for large businesses and enterprises requiring ultrafast broadband and industrial-grade resilience. Companies such as Thatchers, Yeo Valley and Charlie Bigham’s have chosen Truespeed’s Enterprise broadband for their connectivity and networking needs.
